Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul Soybeans 99% Planted, 97% Germinated

Dec. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Soybeans in Brazil’s Rio Grande do
Sul state, the country’s third-biggest grower, were 97 percent
germinated as of yesterday, compared with 90 percent at the same
time last year, farm advisory service Emater/RS reported.

Farmers had planted 99 percent of the crop, up from 96
percent last week, an online report by Emater/RS showed, while
last year planting was done as of Dec. 6.

Germination increased from 94 percent a week ago, 82
percent in the week before that and 47 percent three weeks ago
as rain boosted plant development, allowing the crop to catch up
a delay against last season, Emater said.

Rio Grande do Sul ranks behind the states of Mato Grosso
and Parana in soybean production, government statistics show.
The state is also Brazil’s fourth-biggest corn grower.

Corn planting was 95 percent done as of yesterday, up from
90 percent a week ago and compared with 80 percent at the same
time last year, Emater/RS wrote. Six percent of the crop was
mature and ready for harvesting, compared with none a year
earlier and a five-year average of 1 percent.